December 11, 2025 • 43 mins
Matt and Wes begin to break down this weekend's Monday Night Football matchup against the Miami Dolphins. The guys take a look at how things across the league are shaping up.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. West Ruler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on a Thursday. As the
snow is falling here.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh it's winter all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm nervous about driving home two hours from now.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I'm not gonna lie good at three hours.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Good news is you know. I bought myself a Toyota
Highlander back in May, so I feel I feel well
equipped to now.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
We're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Get a lot. I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
But it just feels cold out there. I've been cold
all day.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, tough to really see anything now because we are
in these ray studios with no windows. But yeah, we
might be able to sledder at home. We'll see whenever
we get up out of here. But we have got
plenty to get to on this Thursday, as always, we're
going to begin scouting the Miami Dolphins game. They sure are.
We have got to have our weekly Thursday conversation with
(01:14):
the Dean of Doom, the lord of living in his
fears Bob Lavriola. We have to get to Matt's stats,
which we will begin to do here just momentarily. But first,
some significant news that has come out in the last
few hours, and it revolves the involves revolves around whatever
I'm trying to say here, the health of TJ. Watt.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So, on Thursday, the Steelers released a statement regarding linebacker TJ. Watt,
who was hospitalized on Wednesday. Here's what they said, and
I quote, TJ. Watt is currently in a local hospital
for further medical evaluation of his lung after experiencing discomfort
at the practice facility on Wednesday. He will not be
at practice on Thursday, and his status for Monday night's
(01:55):
game versus Miami is in question. Mike Tomlin will provide
more updates at the appropriate time. And then Mike Tomlin
did speak after today's practice Matt, and here's what he
had to say, as it relates to.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Teacher, I didn't hear any of this.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, Here's what he had to say, is it relates
to TJ. Watt's health. I'm a little bit cautious about
what to say because I am not a medical expert,
said Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Hey, we've been that down that road.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, same coach, same Back to his exact.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Quiescuse again, this isn't like a broken bone or a
pulled hamstring or right right.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
But to make a long story short, he was experiencing
some discomfort when he was at the facility yesterday, so
we took him to the doctors and they're going through
some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has
a lung situation that's being addressed. I think he has
some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon.
That's all we know at this juncture. He and I
communicated last night. He was comfortable. That's all I really
(02:47):
have to stay at say. At this point, his status
for Monday night is really up in the air. I
think what transpires this afternoon is going to provide more
information for us. I just don't have a lot to
say as I stand here today, I don't. And then
he was, you know, asked a follow up question or two,
and he added, I don't specifically know when it occurred.
I know he was at the cafeteria at one point,
(03:08):
and that's when I got wind of it. And that's
kind of what we know from Mike Tomlin and the
Steelers at this point.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I think that's a perfectly understandable way for Tomlin to
handle it. And again, I mean, it's not a normal
football injury obviously, And the first thing you think about
is just TJ as a person, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Hope, he's good, Hope, it's just a little scared serious.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Could that be something that happens to any of us?
Is this sports related or not? Who knows? I mean, again,
I know less about than Tomlin. I have a tough
time commenting now. I will say he's gonna be really
important against the I mean, he's always really important obviously,
I mean I think that that goes out saying, but
the way they run and the way they run and
test the edges with their speed, I think is super important.
(03:52):
I mean, maybe his sack numbers are down, but he's
as good at edge run defenders or is in the league. Now.
I also think that since you have herbig, who I
think is probably I mean, we have to call him
a backup. He might be the best backup in the
league at any position. That just kind of dawned on me, like, boy,
is there any better backup than that guy? You'd probably
(04:15):
be okay, but it's not a situation you want and
certainly don't want it to be. I'm just talking football
stuff here, not life stuff. You know, hopefully it's not
season ending, career ending, you know. I mean I think
the worst when you hear things like that, you know,
you do.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That kind of stuff is never fun. That kind of
stuff is.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Not trying to scare anybody. I don't know, but it is, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Anything, And it gets back to what we joke about
all the time and what Mike Tomlins said, like, none
of us are medical experts. None of us are doctors.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I don't really about lungs, you know, yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You're a doctor, like I remember my I forget who
it was that told me this one time, but I
was I was nervous about a procedure that I was having.
Met and I think I might might have been my
older cousin Jared or whoever it was, was like, yeah,
it's nerve wracking for you because you're about to have
surgery and you hardly ever have surgery, right right right,
He's like, but he's like you got to think he's
like for this doctor, this is like him going to
(05:04):
do a radio show. Yeah, it is it is for
that doctor, he does that surgery multiple times a week.
It's another day at the office. It's it's it's very normal.
And so I think for all of us a lot
of times when there's health scares, that's not part of
our lexicon, that's not part of what we do or
what we discuss and things like that.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, it's a great way looking at it can be.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It can be very daunting when you know, and hopefully
this is the case, it feels like the vast majority
of the time it's you know, it's something something mine
or something that you might have to keep an eye on,
but it's nothing that's you know, insane or where you
allow your mind to go in moments like this and
you think things are really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
And the other thing I would add to it is
he's way healthier than all of us, in a better shape.
And you know what I mean. I mean, maybe it's
something hereditary I don't know, or maybe it's just something
that happened to him on the field, or you know what. Again,
I have no idea, but he's going to have the
best care and he's going to be in the best
possible shape. He's not a ninety year old, you know,
(05:59):
great grandma.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Exactly right, right, exactly right, So all the best of
TJ will hope he We hope he is well and
doing well, and obviously that's something if we get more
information tomorrow, we'll make sure.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It might be on the practical tomorrow and a role
who knows, I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Absolutely, or it might be something that truly you know,
kind of waits until Monday to see what happens. So
that's where we kind of begin today with unfortunate news,
but hopefully again it'll end well and nothing too serious
for the health and for the future of t J Watt.
But that's what we know as we sit here. As
we stand here right now, there's no way to transition
(06:35):
easily out of that. So let's just jump right into
Matt's stats here. What do you say? Does that work
for you? Matt? I want to talk about the Steelers,
want to talk about the Dolphins. This is typically how
we start on Thursdays, is kind of by diving into
your stats. Yeah, yeah, kind of set the set the
stage a little bit, set the scene begins, scouting the opposition.
There's some things to like here, there's some things to
(06:56):
be concerned by here, Let's let's start with something positive,
because I feel like we've spent so much of the
first part of this week, the first half of this week,
talking about, Hey, a lot of good from the Baltimore game, Yeah,
but also a continued wide gap in run production from
both of these teams. So here's some good news. Though,
as much as we focused on the run game, and
(07:17):
I think particularly from a Steelers defensive standpoint, the Steelers
defense is now in a five game streak of allowing
fewer than two hundred and thirty yards passing, and I
think that's encouraging. Hey, and we could talk about some
of those opponents, like the Bills are built to run
the football, the Ravens are built.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
To run Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Still yeah, and I look at that into Miami Dolphins.
They're built to run the football with a chain, but
they got wattle as well, who can really hurt you
and who has speed to burn and so so much
of the game plan feels like if you can make
them one dimensional, if you can force them into predictable
run situations, then in turn have more success in those
predictable run situations.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, If the Steelers are able to make that six
straight games of kind of doing a good job of
keeping opposition, uh, you know, passing attacks in check. I
think that would go a long way. That's kind of
a key marking point for Monday night.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Was it five games? Five games out? So I threw
this on Twitter two days ago or so, and many
many people said, well, if it's that easy to run
on you, why would they bother throwing? And I would say,
that's what's saying. You're you're right for the last two games, folks,
everyone that wrote me there the last two games. I'm
sure Josh Allen could have put up more passing yards.
(08:33):
I'm sure Lamar Jackson, but especially Allen could have put
up more passing yards if they weren't so successful on
the ground time and time again. I mean that Bills
game was a rare situation where it was just six six, seven, eight,
you know, so why bother you know, shorten the game?
But we go back five games here, I mean, then
there's some substantial passing games the Bears and some other
good teams as well at Burrow, you know, I mean,
(08:56):
birth pretty good, not too shabby. Yeah, So if it
would have been a three game streak, and I put
it out two weeks ago before the getting gashed on
the ground back to back. You'd be like, oh, that's
pretty good. But I also think the eyeball test is
helping here too. I think the defensive backfield, the Dugger
injury aside, is probably the most stable, and the pieces
(09:19):
fit together the best they have all year, you know,
like they try. I don't know that I can remember
having so much turnover at one position. I'm just going
to call the whole secondary from the end of last
year until now. I mean, think about how many people
have come and gone. Prominent names, you know, Slay, Minka, Ramsey.
I mean like, yeah, big name is right right right,
(09:42):
tons of them, you know, they Dugger Peppers people. Everybody
knows they've come and gone. But I do think now
Elliott got hurt, you know. I mean like I think
that the Pierre's played so well and Porter is really
stabilized as a number one type corner or you know,
you top guy Eccles is a really good corner. Ramsey's
(10:03):
a full time safety. The strong safety position has been
a bit of a revolving door. The timing's not great
for this conversation because Dougger was just out. But that
doesn't look like it's long term, so I think that
has something to do with it. I mean, there's way
fewer like mental errors or hands in the air, or boy,
why is this guy playing such off coverage on third
and two and giving away these easy pitching catches and
(10:26):
the pass rush is still there. So I hesitate to
go Downalds Road because two weeks ago, before Bills and Ravens,
I thought, man, we can had the same conversation about
the run defense, Like all the run defenses looking good,
they shut down Taylor and Jacobs and the Bears, and
then uh yeah, whack them all. Yeah yeah, right, here
comes some problem again. So I'm not saying it's fixed
(10:48):
for the app. I mean, I don't have crystal ball here.
But it's been very good for five games.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yes it has, and some of those games I think
you can draw a direct parallel to just teams having
a lot of success in the run game. Yeah, but
I also think there's some games in there where it
really worked in their favor. Cincinnati one, you mentioned, Chicago
one you mentioned, even though that was a loss that
they end up losing by three points and then back
to starting with that game against the Chargers, that Sunday
(11:13):
night loss in La matt So that's kind of encouraging
in the past game there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I also look at this, and I look at the
Steelers latest offensive performances. Okay, twenty seven points in Baltimore,
just seven against Buffalo, that's the outlier. But twenty eight
points against Chicago, thirty four points against Cincinnati, Okay, just
ten against LA twenty seven against Indy, twenty five against
Green Bay, thirty one against Cleveland, twenty three or thirty
(11:43):
one against Cincinnati, part of me twenty three against Cleveland.
Last handful of games here, you have scored what would
be twenty seven points, yes, twenty five part of me
points or more in all but two of those games
since your.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Bye week to five to the last seven, five to.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
The last seven.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, And I mean there's defensive scorers in there and
stuff too. Correct still points of points.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
The reason I'm pointing out that kind of line of demarcation,
there's a clear cut number here for Miami. The Dolphins
are six and zher when they allow twenty one points
or less. Yeah, they are zero and seven when they
allow twenty two points or more.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Now I'd have to be closer to the Dolphins to
really tell you why on that sure, But I do think, well,
first of all, you know, the last five years of
Steelers football. Wouldn't we have killed to say they got
twenty seven months, you know, let alone you know at
five out of seven. I mean, the Steelers used to
(12:40):
have a crazy line of demarcation at like twenty or
twenty one points of like they almost never lose, anyone.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Will never win when they score less, right.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I mean, I'm talking about Duck and Trubisky and Wilson
and Fields and yeah, the last five years. And I
wonder if the Dolphins are sort of in a similar situation.
I did a show last night and we talked about
this a lot, and the more I've dug in and
frankly just more homework too since we got together yesterday.
I know the Dolphins defensive numbers are good. During this
(13:13):
winning streak, they have not allowed a lot of points,
but I still don't think it's a very good defense.
And they've played some pretty bad offenses Buffalo aside, they have,
and just the sniff test, like, they have some good players,
but they don't have great players. They traded some dudes.
They're really weak at corner, so I think they're kind
of holding on, you know, like I I think they
(13:35):
have to play things pretty close to the vest and
they kind of had don't have a very high ceiling
for how they can play, which is why I brought
up the recent Steeler teams, because that's how they had
to They had to win the turnover battle, which Miami's
done a lot lately. They've turned they've turned people over
a lot lately, which is, you know, good for them.
And they've run the ball and they've shortened the games.
You know, you know, they don't play a ton of plays.
(13:58):
Side note too, I mean my Miami games have the
fewest plays run of any thirty two team. Like they're
playing slow you slow you down right, I mean take.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
The full clock. Interesting, now, if.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
You remember my Stephen Curry conversation, like I might be
able to beat him in a three point contest if
it's a first one to make one, but if it's
the first one to make a hundred, I will lose
eight million, zillion million times in a row. Yeah, right, right,
So if I shorten the game, and I know I'm
not super talented and I don't have Tyreek and I
traded phill Up. You know, like that's you know, maybe
I'll play a little slower, you know it.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It makes a lot of sense in that regard. It
certainly does.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And they were sellers at the trade deadline, you know.
Now they're saving their jobs.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Right, perhaps their best defensive player. Yeah, Phillips deadline to Philadelphia,
And so that does make a lot of sense. I
like that Curry analogy that you that you use there.
We're to shorten the game. We're gonna use the shot clock. Yeah,
we're not gonna let Steph Curry take thirty shots. We're
gonna only let him take twenty. And and hope that
that is, you know, keeps things closer and limit minimizes
opportunity for air.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
There fewer plays made, there's less our depth gets tested,
and you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
No doubt and this one, I just this doesn't really
kind of fit into the conversation that we had here
to open the show, but it needs stated because it's
just insane. The Steelers have won two games in which
they failed to reach forty rushing yards. They're the only
team in the league to do that even once.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
So it's happened twice this year, and the end and
the whole every game has played in the.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
NFL this year, it's both been the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There's been two wins where the winning team did not
reach forty rushing yards, both by Pittsford. One was last week,
and I think the other was the Colts. Was the
Colts that I'm almost.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Sure it was, like it could be right.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Just actually him and Tom and I were doing it
last night and just off top of the head their head,
one of them said, oh, it's the Colts. But I
didn't double check it or anything.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Let's see here, I think it was the Colts.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
I mean, it's people know him into these stats, and
I do like them a lot, but it's it's fun
to do them for this team because.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Thirty eight rushing yards against them.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Okay, that's crazy. If I would dig this heavy into
thirty one other teams, I can almost guarantee you the Steelers'
stat pack every week is the weirdest of all thirty two.
You know, it makes it even more fun to do
it for the Steelers, good and bad. But there's some
extremes that's around this team, and that's perfect example. The
status do you win those games.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Voodoo magic, the stats of the weird with Matt Williams.
We've got more of those as we roll along. We
got to get to Bob Lavriola, a whole bunch to
get to today as we start to set the scene,
continue to set the scene for Stellers and Dolphins on
Monday Night Football. Wes Uler, Matt Williamson, just getting started
here on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Your tuns About Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Back on the Drive here on a Thursday, as we
are digging into Matt's stats, diving into the stat packet
here scouting these Miami Dolphins, helping you paint a better
picture of the Steelers upcoming opponent here on Monday Night Football. Matt,
this one scares me a little bit, yeap, Miami has
the league's best explosive run rate. Yeah, over seven and
(17:23):
a half percent of the time, So just about eight
percent of their runs are explosive. Right, that means ten or.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
More yards, right, big deal, Big deal? Some of them
are ninety Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Pittsburgh is thirty first in explosive run rate just two
point four difference. Right, Miami's defense is thirtieth and explosive
run rate allowed seven point seven percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Maybe Steelers could get some stuff going, you know it's.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Steelers defense is twenty fourth, so not completely bottom of
the barrel, but below average.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
The below average, I mean explosive. We talk about it
this almost every week. I mean one of the things
that's really hot to the Steelers this year in all
facets just is explosive plays inability to generate them. Yeah, yeah,
both sides of the ball. That's the differential anyway you
cut it is not favored the Steelers at all. And
(18:15):
to stick with Miami, I think they're They're always at
the top of the league this way. Well, first of all,
everybody draft runs a four to two, you know, like
they speed speed speed speed speed, sports cars, sports cars,
Lamborghini's and Ferraris and a Chan is the perfect example.
I mean, he's an undersize running back, but he has
some physicality to him. He bounce off, he'll pin ball round.
(18:37):
But if he gets out, if he gets on the edge,
he can fly, or if he gets any kind of crease,
he can fly. I think he did some sprinting at
Texas A and m definitely has a sprinter's background, so yes,
But even right who is his backup is also a
four to three guy out of Tennessee the young pup
Olli Gordon's not. They actually brought a hammer in, as
(18:58):
you know, a chain mover type. The other thing, and
this is what worries me as much is their scheme
is just so creative and different. They lead the league
in motion, you know, prestat motion. They're right the top
of the league in two back stuff, you know. So
any offense, and this is a big thing I talked
(19:18):
about with like Steelers in thirteen personnel, like if you
can be real extreme on offense in any way, shape
or forms, you know. Yeah, it just I only have
three practices to figure this stuff out, and I don't
want to figure it out in the third quarter after
they've already had five explosive runs, you know what I mean.
And with this team too, I'm betting that if you
(19:39):
sat here with a defensive coach from the Steelers right now,
I bet they're hard to simulate in practice too, because
you're not taking to the ground people. A lot of
times people aren't running full speed and they're not running
a chance speed for sure. And even like the motions
and stuff are all fast, fast, fast, you know, especially
with Tyreek was there.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No doubt.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
And man, they get your leaning the wrong way and
they hit the gap you're supposed to be in. It
can be a house call, man.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
And it's concerning, yeah, because again Steelers.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
You miss a tackle or you know, take a wrong
angle because he'd misjudge your speed.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
You know, they're the best in the league at it.
Steelers twenty fourth, best at limiting it, at defending it.
Not great, certainly something to keep an eye on. Here's
something else, and I should have probably brought this up
in the first segment when we were talking about you
were talking about how Miami runs. The Miami games average
the fewest amount of plays per you know, poor per
(20:36):
the organization. It's them in their opponent over sixty minutes.
Miami held the ball last week over thirty six minutes
against the Jets. Steelers. As we know, it's been a
conversation point. It's been an issue all year two twenty
six sixteen. Last week against Baltimore. The Steelers are the
worst of the NFL in time of possession just to
(20:57):
shade under twenty seven minutes per game on average, Miami
for the year is a little over twenty nine minutes,
so not outstanding. But if you look as of late,
they're averaging over thirty one minutes. So again, this is
a team that's it's almost like a tale of two
seasons of stats for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Yeah, you can almost take their first month of the
season and the win. Yeah, like I was a throb
king today and you know all the work he does
and he's like he's a psycho game. I mean, he
wants to watch every game of every opponent, which obviously
gets harder later in the year because there's one more
game each week. I'm like, don't even watch the first month.
You're not gonna learn anything about this same right, I
mean Tyreek was out there, they were horrible, that nothing
(21:36):
was adding up. Do not even bother because they might
as well have purple and blue jerseys on or so,
I mean like they're not even the same team. No,
Now that being said, I also think this last week
against the Jets is a bit of an anomaly in
their favor too, Like that team was a disaster.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I mean, I mean, h Han had ninety two yards
on seven carries.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
And then they got a rib bugged them a little bit,
and they got them by the game like we don't
need you anymore. We're like twenty four to three and
Tye Rod's out and Fields is out and some guy
named Cook is in there. And so those thirty six
minutes of time possession, they still I mean, even without
their best back, they ran for well over two hundred
yards and getting nothing from their quarterback position too.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
So a little bit of an outlier, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
I mean that was a very weak opponent. You know
that you got the right time too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Steelers, Matt have run one hundred and eighty seven plays.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
This is what I hate the most. It really is,
and we talk about every week every day.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
I maybe kind of buried the lead here. Yeah, maybe
this is like, you know, I don't know, you bring
flowers home and cook a nice dinner, you know, before
you tell your wife that you you got a two
hundred dollars speeding ticket on the way home or.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Something I wrecked the car or yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
The Steelers negative one hundred and eighty seven play differential
in terms of on a per game basis, how many
more plays they're an it is running than they are.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
So, folks, the Steeler defense is run one hundred and
eighty seven more plays than the Steeler offense.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
That's over insane. Three games.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That's three games.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Three games.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
It's like usually it's about sixty per game, sixty five,
So that's really like they've played three more games.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
But this, and that's damning, don't get me wrong. Right,
that's great.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
We've talked about that a lot, but the next part's
way worse.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
This is what really puts it into perspective, and it
really paints it in a concerning light. The next worst
team in the NFL is the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
They stink, so they must be like minus one eight.
I mean they're terrible, right right, minus eighty seven, one
hundred plays better.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Steelers defense has played a hundred plays more than the
next closest defense in the National Football League, Right, That
is wild?
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, differential not even this defensive defense, it's the differential
of how many minus your offense.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I don't think that can be understated.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And the Raiders are hideous. I mean again, we don't
talk about teams giving up much, you know, but you know,
can'tcuon all that is. But that team has cashed it.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
In more than anybody.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Right, they have no talent whatsoever. It makes all the sense.
Like if there was only thirty one teams in the
league and the Steelers weren't one of them, and you
looked at the Raiders, You're like, man, they played eighty
seven more plays than their defense than their offense. That's
really rough, no wonder, they're in a mess. And then
you take it to a next level with this one.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
You know, and if you woke up a football fan
who had just been in a coma for the last
ten years, Yeah, and you said, the Steelers defense has
been on the field for it's mid December. Yeah, the
Steelers defense, he's been on the field for one hundred
and eighty seven more plays than their offense. What do
you think their record is?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I would think they have the second pick in the Dragons.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
They're picking in the top five.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, right, there's no way you can live that way.
I'm like, I bet you're eleven and opening day starters,
seven of them are hurt and you're on your fifth
safety off the couch. That wasn't even the league in
training camp. I mean, that's what And frankly, that's the
road you are gonna are you're spiraling down because they've
(25:00):
been fortunate and they've showed some toughness and some good
players that it hasn't gotten to that point, but it
could at any minute if you keep that up, you know,
like you're really walking, yeah, and then it's gonna get worse,
and then the differential every week's can get worse because
you're out. I mean, it's this problem compounds itself, you know,
if you don't nip it in the bud, which they haven't.
(25:22):
It's amazing to me that it hasn't totally derailed the season.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
It's the it's the it's the shoulder. It's the broken
shoulder collar bone that ends up messing up your elbow
and your wrist, and you're.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Like, then you're amputating the arm and then you look
like the Black Knight and Monty Python.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
We'll call it a draw.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But I mean people wonder, like, oh man, they get out, coach,
why they letting up so many fourth quarter points? That's
on there too. They've been out there for a million
snaps over the course of a year.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I think the as you also outlined a few times,
the Chargers game was the perfect example of that.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Yeah, some good and I know, by the way, the
last two weeks you've had a major rest disadvantage.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Major over over the Bills and the Ravens. Absolutely some
good news in this regard, though, Miami is sixth worst
in the league in terms of play differential.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Again it's a it's a it's a pretty significant gap
between the Steelers and everybody else, but Miami is not
the best team to exploit it. They also kind of
struggle in this regard sixth worst in the.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
League because I don't think their defense is great, and yes,
they're running the ball well recently, but they have an
all year. They're not the most physical team that just
pounds you with Jerome Bettison a full back over and
over block. And I found it interesting too, is that
the benner at the bottom of that general section just
points allowed and gained per quarter. It's kind of It's
(26:47):
pretty interesting about Miami too, because you know, the Steelers is,
as as stated, their fourth quarter stuff is bad, but
they also I think that whole section is kind of
interesting both both teams.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Okay, well let's do this then, let's take a break now. Cool,
Let's take a break now and we'll hit that heavy
because I want to I don't want to have to
short change that, and we'll dive deep into that. You've
also got some good stuff in here about the twenty
first century of Miami Dolphins and their record when playing
in the cold, So we'll get into we'll get into
all that to close down the hour, to close down
(27:21):
the Matt's Stats conversation here on this Thursday on the
Drive Euler Williamson Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network,
your tuned.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
All right, so let's get into it. Continuing to comb
over Matt's stats here, and you want to do the
quarter breakdown. There's some good.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Stuff in here, especially with this opponent.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
The Dolphins pretty two point one points on average in
the third quarter of games. That's worst in the National
Football League. The second half in total, they produced just
nine point two points per second half. That is sixth
worst in the National Football League. But the other side
of that equation, yeah, they allowed just three point seven
points in the first quarter of games, that's sixth best
(28:22):
in the NFL. Yeah, but they really struggle in allowing
points in the third quarter both of these teams. That's
maybe one of the games within the games. They're twenty
seventh in third quarter points allowed, twenty fourth in fourth
quarter points allowed. Yeah, so pretty good, pretty stingy in
the first half. Completely different story in the second. The
second half.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Yeah, And I don't think it's necessarily Boy they got
out coached or figured out things. I mean, they have
not been a great time possession team all year. I
just don't think they have a lot of good players,
and they don't have very much depth. I mean, they
traded away guys, you know what I mean, Like there's
probably I'm sure they're well, they just fired their gym.
But I mean if you looked at like their front
office and said, these are our twenty five defensive players, well,
(29:06):
I'm counting on about ten of them not being with
us next year, you know what I mean? Yes, and
upgrading on the others, you know, yes.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Now to kind of spin the block here to the
other side for the Steelers, right, Pittsburgh gives up ten
point one points in the fourth quarter of games. That
is second worst in the NFL, only behind the Giants,
who were currently slated to pick first overall or yeah, yeah,
first overall, yeah yeah, which is really troubling.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But when you play or one hundred and eighty seven
more plays than your offense, what do you.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Think you can draw a direct parallel there. I think
it's safe to say the Steelers allow fourteen point seven
points in the second half of games, thirty first in
the NFL, only better than the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Which had a historically bad defense for most of the year.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Now here's some good news for the Steelers. They produce
thirteen points in the first half of games. That's seventh
best in the National Football League, which is.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Way different than it used to be. You know, opening
drives they never score. And then there's a stat going
around that they haven't got to ten points in the
first quarter and forever and.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Ever since Reagan was president.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I think it's right, right, right, And they're putting the
points in the first half.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yes, they's hard to argue with they have. It's it's
almost done. A one eighty in terms of last year
where they really struggled out of the gates, but then
they were great, outstanding, the best in the NFL. Out
of the locker room at halftime.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Yeah, third quarter was very kind to the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Best margin in the entire league last year in the
third quarter.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
So can you can you put a fit? I don't
know that I can put a finger on why I
can late in games. Yes that I can, but it.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Is it's it's weird. Now they're top ten in the
first half and their second worst in the in the
in the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Now, my hunch is that Tomlin and the coaching staff
examined their problems in the off season and said, we
probably have to prepare different during the week. You'll be
nuts if you did.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
That's what they That's what they spend the off season doing,
other than scouting and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
But like, hey, we're starting things really slow, especially offense.
We know that these maybe we script things different, or
we don't script, or we script more, or you know,
whatever it is, or we practice different or whatever. But whatever,
your week of prep is clearly needed examining because this
has been a couple of years in a row where
they were slow starters. Well, that's gotten better, but nobody
(31:19):
seems to give them credit for it.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
You know, it's a weird it's a very weird juxtaposition
in that in that regard and.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I feel like every time we talked to Rob, he
brings up rightfully. So, how many of these losses did
they come out of halftime with a lead, because I'm
scoring in the first amount A good amount of them.
Green Bay, I mean, there's a lot of.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Them, Seattle, Green Bay, or maybe Seattle they were tied.
Were they tied against Seattle? But Seattle, Green Bay, Chicago,
I know for sure they were tied, that they were tied.
I'm pretty sure that Thursday said maybe since he actually
maybe they did have a lead at that way, they
either had a leader, were tied. They weren't team No,
(31:58):
they weren't winning into three, but they.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Were still winning win often got the ball.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Weird man. Almost all those times they got the ball
against Buffalo, they did against Green Bay, they did in
Chicago they did.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Buffalo's fresh on my mind because it's like, boy, they're
getting beat pretty bad in the first half, but they
gott nder to break, they're winning, and they get the football. Okay,
I mean, I'll roll the dice on that.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Totally red zone defense. Another thing to keep an eye
on here in this one. Matt h Steelers red zone
defense seventh best in the National Football league, allowing a
touchdown just to shade over fifty two percent of the time,
seventh best in the league. Really good Miami, though even
stingier just about forty nine percent of the time for
fourth best red zone defense in the NFL. Got to
(32:43):
make account when you get down close. Remember Sunday in Baltimore,
you settled for field goals three times in the red zone. Now,
one of them Travis Jones, the penalty you lucked out
next play Kenneth game well punches, so it ended up
only being two technically, but you settled for the one
and got the personal foul penalty that allowed you to
elongate the drive. That might be a recipe to lose
(33:05):
a close one if you do that again on money.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, or you could look at the other ways or
the other way to Steeler. Red zone defense might be
the reason they won because reid zone offense is falling
off a cliff from last.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Year, and Baltimore kicked some red zone field goals too,
and they had that turnover on downs in the red zone,
which was perhaps the sequence of the game.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Now, I remember us talking like after three or four
games this season, it seems like one hundred years ago.
But the Steelers red zone offense was on fire to
sort of season.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Yes, it was.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
And Rodgers is historically shocker is really good in the
red zone.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Two typically those quarterbacks that are so sharp above the
neck that it's one of their calling cards without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I wish you could rely on the run game a
little more for those I mean run in you know.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Agreed, Agreed. Both of these defenses struggle on fourth downs
when teams go for it on fourth Steelers thirty first
in the league. Seventy five percent of the times teams
convert fourth down against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Dolphins twenty sixth in the league. Not much better, sixty
seven percent, because.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
That's an opportunity for a turnover that you don't get.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, I mean, and you got a big one again
red zone in that moment, Patrick Queen breaking up that
pass in Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Yeah. Yeah. Now, I don't know if there's any rocket
science to it, but I do think obviously I count
a fourth dound conversion or a fourth dound failure as
a turnover, which it directly is.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
They call it a turnover on downs, Matt. It's in
the name the word turnover is in the name.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
I mean, if it was third down the quarterback botches
a snap and the ball falls on the line of
scrimmage and Keanu Benton falls on it, they call it
a turnover. It's the same thing as on fourth down.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Completely agree.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I don't know how you get better at fourth down defense.
There's probably a lot of toush pushes and stuff on the.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Are nob a short yard of stuff. I think it's harder.
I think it's harder in that regard now than it's
ever been before.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
That for defense, Yeah, definitely, But those are opportunities for
even more turnovers. If you were just league average and
fourth down defense, you might be number one in true
turnover differentially, you know what I mean, Yeah, instead of
two or three.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Before we get to the weather element here to kind
of close down this exercise, one last one that I
wanted to run by you, Matt. We do this everybody
who does radio, whatever, television, shows, podcasts together. You spend
hours a week, you know, day by day, hours a day,
thirty segments a week. As you always say, there's a
lot of things that we talk about in a negative
(35:29):
light or a concerning light, like time of possession. There's
a lot of things that we continue to talk about.
Being a strength sack differential one of those things that
we always mentioned in that regard again another one. This
really stuck out to me because it paints a picture
of just how good the Steelers are at it. We
talk about this all the time, particularly Cam Heyward, but
he's not the only one that batting down passes at
(35:49):
the line of scrimmage to remarkable. We saw that in
a big moment on Sunday in Baltimore. Steelers defense is
batted down a league high twenty passes so far this season.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I didn't put it in there, almost certain number twos
all the way down to fifteen. Okay, so they're twenty
five percent better than the number two guy in the league, which.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Again really paints a picture, right Miami. So Steelers best
in the league. Twenty deflected passes at the line of scrimmage. Yeah, Miami,
worse than the league just two two.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
I think this was last time I was talking to
Tom and Tim. It's like it's almost hard to bat
down only two over the course of the year, Like.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
You should be getting at least one every other game.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
You would think, I mean It's not like they only
run against Miami or for some reason because of the
heat or the way they're built that they are inequipped
to do it. You would think they'd get you'd hit
someone in the helmet a couple times a year, or
I mean how I mean these guys all get their
hands up. I mean the only batdown two passes and
we're deep into December is.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Nuts, crazy, real crazy.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
I mean I should The short thing is, I'm sure
the Steelers D line coach, Carl doun bar it's part of.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
The it's part of the lexicon. It has.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
It has to be a practice thing, you know. I
bet one D line coach is really preaching it and
practicing it and the other one isn't. There's no doubt
the Steelers are.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Great because I was gonna say it's it's it's about
as it's about as consistent as them being at the
top of the NFL in sacks every year, right, I
mean that it's it's something that they do, they do well,
and they consistently do well.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
The best guy I've ever seen at it is JJ Watt.
I mean JJ Swatt Wasatt every year. Cam's right behind him.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Ever seen after outstanding.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
I think the last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Brother on the team might have they have dinner one
night and JJ's I was joke about that, the three
of them just sitting there eating steaks and drinking martinis
or whatever. Like came on a little tip you like
tamp on, how to get a timp, you know, after
I retire, you're inside pass rush you and learn how
to bat down passes.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Over under two hundred ounces of RIBBI consumed when those three,
when those three break broke together. Okay, here we go,
a few more minutes left here before we.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Check, and I'll tell you a little tip here.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
You know, Cam, you're you're battened out an average of
three passes a season. Those are rookie numbers in this
We gotta pump those numbers up.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
I know how you play. I can get you up
to ten mm, which turns into turnovers due mad passes
go in the air and you pick them off.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Since the year twenty twenty first century here twenty five
years a quarter century, so a sizable sample size. Sizable
sample size, that's a little redundant. Whatever. The Dolphins are
six and thirteen when playing in temperatures under thirty two degrees.
They're past ten games in below freezing weather. They are
(38:31):
just one and nine. And Matt, that's a.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Kickoff, by the way, that is it kickoff. It can
change as the game goes on in the three hours.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
And as I look at my phone here right now,
it looks like it's about to be approximately fourteen degrees
at kickoff on Monday. Steelers have been in a bad
stretch of rest disadvantage, right They got Cincinnati coming off
of bye, they got Buffalo and Baltimore coming off of
Thursday night football. This is the pendulum swinging in the
(38:59):
other way, getting.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
You get something that goes your way, getting.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
This game in mid December, not mid September or October,
and getting it Monday night eight o'clock at night, the
coldest part of the day, as opposed to one o'clock
in the afternoon when the sun could still be out
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
And o side note, they're twenty two and oh on
Monday night home games in the last twenty two games,
you know, correct, Monday night and weather is a pretty
terrible combination for the road team here from South Florida.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
And even if you go to fifty degrees, which isn't
very cold. It's not cold at all. Right, Tua is
one and eight in games under fifty degrees, right, I
mean he's a Southern boy, went to Alabama, plays for
the Miami Dolphins, grew up in Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
LIKEWAYI Tobama to Miami is not exactly the cold belt.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
And I know that that's crazy to some people, Like,
how's the only Remember James win Remember James Winston last
year he was like, this is the first time I've
ever played in snow in my life, right, Like, yeah,
guy from the South, went to Florida State, spent a
lot of his career with Tampa Bay and New Orleans. Sure,
one win now was last week at MetLife Stadium.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
But against that ball a million times.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
That's the only time to ever won a game when
the weather's been under fifty degrees at kickoff, the like.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
You said, that's not that's not it's even close to snow.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Or it was like fifteen.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Right, the ball's not like a rock.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Right, there's a lot of games it's like forty eight
degrees in sunny and you're like, it's perfect football weather.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Oh yeah, it feels like autumn.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
You know, you put a hoodie on and then a
hat and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Good to go. So last note, there is just a
dolphin thing. We just covered the two aspect of it.
They got a warm weather quarterback for a warm weather team. Now,
like if this was an early game, like Miami's September
home record standing is like eighty percent winning percent.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
They pull out the Ferraris and the Lambous and the
Porsches and that and that Miami Sunshine and all those
pasty boys from Buffalo come down and melt and that.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
One of my favorite things in the league is the
way that stadium is designed. Miami is all total shade
the whole time, and they're just in direct southern equator,
you know, Africa.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Hot call that home field advantage.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Yes, I mean it was exactly how it was built.
And so smart.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Let's bring those Let's bring the where the black jerseys
while you're at it. Yeah, exactly right, Let's bring those.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Not equipped for the cold. They overly compensated for me
in terms over the years, they've got a little better.
Like the last The first two draft picks this year
were Kenneth Grant, who's a three hundred and thirty pound
nose tackle type and big Jonah from Arizona who's a
three hundred and thirty guard. You know. So they finally
got some dump trucks are starting to but too little,
too late. But they've been built for speed and they've
(41:33):
been built for good weather. But the thing that they
overlooked or didn't give enough consideration is the other three
teams in their division aren't. This isn't the NFC.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
South, it's all domel That's the craziest part to you
got to go.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
To Buffalo in New England, in New.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
York and if you're consistently winning thirteen fourteen games a year,
you know, and now they got to go and now
they have to go there, right sure, but you know, you're.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
So much different than the other three, so.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Much different, right right right, And even like if you're
hosting home playoff games every year, say they find a
Unicorn quarterback and they go on a stretch of you know,
winning the division seven times in ten years something like that,
still not then in January, it's not that much of
an advantage, Like it's still sixty seventy degrees.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
One seed, but it's not like Buffalo's like, oh no,
I got to play in fifty degree.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Oh well, it's gonna be sixty five in Miami this week, right,
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Like Dallas is like that that division where there's so
much different geographically than the other three teams.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
The one thing I know, we got to get to
break and get to Bob Labiola here. But if and
when I become commissioner of college football, you know when
around campus really takes off enough and they let me,
they let me fix the sport every like every other
year something. I want the Rose Bowl and the Sugar
Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. I want them play in
the North all right, Ohio, Ohio State's always got to
go to southern California, you know, notre names gotta go
(42:50):
to Miami. Uh it give me those California and those
Florida boys up in Columbus for a bowl game in January.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
Baby.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
We saw that last years Tennessee. Tennessee had to go
to coll for that first round playoff game and those balls, man,
they froze and that game, that game was over by
the second.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Tour enough in the year that I won't fight you
on it because I don't want like ice bowls. No, okay,
but in college it wouldn't be as bad.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
I mean, we're actually sitting we're seeing it. We're seeing
it now with the you know, the home field advantage
in the first round of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Like I don't want Green Bay to host the super Bowl, and.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
No, no, no, I'm not talking I'm not talking that extreme, Okay,
but I do like it now that I.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
Want pastors to be able to pass in most important
games I want.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
I want Georgia going to South Bend in January. Right now,
I want Alabama going to Columbus in January. Let's see
that shoe on the other foot fellas uh hour of
the books another hour ago. We'll talk to the Great
Bob Labriola when we return on the other side. Here
on the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.
Your tunes about Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Gold Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:22):
Good afternoon, Steelers Nation. It's the Drive on the Steelers
Audio Network. West Ruler and Matt Williamson with you here
for the next two hours on a Thursday. As the
snow is falling here.
Speaker 3 (00:33):
Oh it's winter all of a sudden.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
I'm nervous about driving home two hours from now.
Speaker 3 (00:36):
I'm not gonna lie good at three hours.
Speaker 2 (00:39):
Good news is you know. I bought myself a Toyota
Highlander back in May, so I feel I feel well
equipped to now.
Speaker 3 (00:46):
We're supposed to.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Get a lot. I don't think so.
Speaker 3 (00:48):
But it just feels cold out there. I've been cold
all day.
Speaker 2 (00:52):
Yeah, tough to really see anything now because we are
in these ray studios with no windows. But yeah, we
might be able to sledder at home. We'll see whenever
we get up out of here. But we have got
plenty to get to on this Thursday, as always, we're
going to begin scouting the Miami Dolphins game. They sure are.
We have got to have our weekly Thursday conversation with
(01:14):
the Dean of Doom, the lord of living in his
fears Bob Lavriola. We have to get to Matt's stats,
which we will begin to do here just momentarily. But first,
some significant news that has come out in the last
few hours, and it revolves the involves revolves around whatever
I'm trying to say here, the health of TJ. Watt.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:34):
So, on Thursday, the Steelers released a statement regarding linebacker TJ. Watt,
who was hospitalized on Wednesday. Here's what they said, and
I quote, TJ. Watt is currently in a local hospital
for further medical evaluation of his lung after experiencing discomfort
at the practice facility on Wednesday. He will not be
at practice on Thursday, and his status for Monday night's
(01:55):
game versus Miami is in question. Mike Tomlin will provide
more updates at the appropriate time. And then Mike Tomlin
did speak after today's practice Matt, and here's what he
had to say, as it relates to.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
Teacher, I didn't hear any of this.
Speaker 2 (02:07):
Yeah, Here's what he had to say, is it relates
to TJ. Watt's health. I'm a little bit cautious about
what to say because I am not a medical expert,
said Mike Tomlin.
Speaker 3 (02:15):
Hey, we've been that down that road.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Yeah, same coach, same Back to his exact.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
Quiescuse again, this isn't like a broken bone or a
pulled hamstring or right right.
Speaker 2 (02:24):
But to make a long story short, he was experiencing
some discomfort when he was at the facility yesterday, so
we took him to the doctors and they're going through
some procedures. He stayed overnight in the hospital. He has
a lung situation that's being addressed. I think he has
some testing and so forth ahead of him this afternoon.
That's all we know at this juncture. He and I
communicated last night. He was comfortable. That's all I really
(02:47):
have to stay at say. At this point, his status
for Monday night is really up in the air. I
think what transpires this afternoon is going to provide more
information for us. I just don't have a lot to
say as I stand here today, I don't. And then
he was, you know, asked a follow up question or two,
and he added, I don't specifically know when it occurred.
I know he was at the cafeteria at one point,
(03:08):
and that's when I got wind of it. And that's
kind of what we know from Mike Tomlin and the
Steelers at this point.
Speaker 3 (03:15):
I think that's a perfectly understandable way for Tomlin to
handle it. And again, I mean, it's not a normal
football injury obviously, And the first thing you think about
is just TJ as a person, you know, like.
Speaker 2 (03:27):
Hope, he's good, Hope, it's just a little scared serious.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
Could that be something that happens to any of us?
Is this sports related or not? Who knows? I mean, again,
I know less about than Tomlin. I have a tough
time commenting now. I will say he's gonna be really
important against the I mean, he's always really important obviously,
I mean I think that that goes out saying, but
the way they run and the way they run and
test the edges with their speed, I think is super important.
(03:52):
I mean, maybe his sack numbers are down, but he's
as good at edge run defenders or is in the league. Now.
I also think that since you have herbig, who I
think is probably I mean, we have to call him
a backup. He might be the best backup in the
league at any position. That just kind of dawned on me, like, boy,
is there any better backup than that guy? You'd probably
(04:15):
be okay, but it's not a situation you want and
certainly don't want it to be. I'm just talking football
stuff here, not life stuff. You know, hopefully it's not
season ending, career ending, you know. I mean I think
the worst when you hear things like that, you know,
you do.
Speaker 2 (04:31):
That kind of stuff is never fun. That kind of
stuff is.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
Not trying to scare anybody. I don't know, but it is, right, yeah.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
Anything, And it gets back to what we joke about
all the time and what Mike Tomlins said, like, none
of us are medical experts. None of us are doctors.
Speaker 3 (04:42):
I don't really about lungs, you know, yeah, if.
Speaker 2 (04:44):
You're a doctor, like I remember my I forget who
it was that told me this one time, but I
was I was nervous about a procedure that I was having.
Met and I think I might might have been my
older cousin Jared or whoever it was, was like, yeah,
it's nerve wracking for you because you're about to have
surgery and you hardly ever have surgery, right right right,
He's like, but he's like you got to think he's
like for this doctor, this is like him going to
(05:04):
do a radio show. Yeah, it is it is for
that doctor, he does that surgery multiple times a week.
It's another day at the office. It's it's it's very normal.
And so I think for all of us a lot
of times when there's health scares, that's not part of
our lexicon, that's not part of what we do or
what we discuss and things like that.
Speaker 3 (05:20):
Yeah, it's a great way looking at it can be.
Speaker 2 (05:22):
It can be very daunting when you know, and hopefully
this is the case, it feels like the vast majority
of the time it's you know, it's something something mine
or something that you might have to keep an eye on,
but it's nothing that's you know, insane or where you
allow your mind to go in moments like this and
you think things are really bad.
Speaker 3 (05:39):
And the other thing I would add to it is
he's way healthier than all of us, in a better shape.
And you know what I mean. I mean, maybe it's
something hereditary I don't know, or maybe it's just something
that happened to him on the field, or you know what. Again,
I have no idea, but he's going to have the
best care and he's going to be in the best
possible shape. He's not a ninety year old, you know,
(05:59):
great grandma.
Speaker 2 (06:00):
Exactly right, right, exactly right, So all the best of
TJ will hope he We hope he is well and
doing well, and obviously that's something if we get more
information tomorrow, we'll make sure.
Speaker 3 (06:11):
It might be on the practical tomorrow and a role
who knows, I mean.
Speaker 2 (06:14):
Absolutely, or it might be something that truly you know,
kind of waits until Monday to see what happens. So
that's where we kind of begin today with unfortunate news,
but hopefully again it'll end well and nothing too serious
for the health and for the future of t J Watt.
But that's what we know as we sit here. As
we stand here right now, there's no way to transition
(06:35):
easily out of that. So let's just jump right into
Matt's stats here. What do you say? Does that work
for you? Matt? I want to talk about the Steelers,
want to talk about the Dolphins. This is typically how
we start on Thursdays, is kind of by diving into
your stats. Yeah, yeah, kind of set the set the
stage a little bit, set the scene begins, scouting the opposition.
There's some things to like here, there's some things to
(06:56):
be concerned by here, Let's let's start with something positive,
because I feel like we've spent so much of the
first part of this week, the first half of this week,
talking about, Hey, a lot of good from the Baltimore game, Yeah,
but also a continued wide gap in run production from
both of these teams. So here's some good news. Though,
as much as we focused on the run game, and
(07:17):
I think particularly from a Steelers defensive standpoint, the Steelers
defense is now in a five game streak of allowing
fewer than two hundred and thirty yards passing, and I
think that's encouraging. Hey, and we could talk about some
of those opponents, like the Bills are built to run
the football, the Ravens are built.
Speaker 3 (07:35):
To run Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Lamar Jackson.
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Still yeah, and I look at that into Miami Dolphins.
They're built to run the football with a chain, but
they got wattle as well, who can really hurt you
and who has speed to burn and so so much
of the game plan feels like if you can make
them one dimensional, if you can force them into predictable
run situations, then in turn have more success in those
predictable run situations.
Speaker 3 (07:58):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (07:58):
Yeah, If the Steelers are able to make that six
straight games of kind of doing a good job of
keeping opposition, uh, you know, passing attacks in check. I
think that would go a long way. That's kind of
a key marking point for Monday night.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
Was it five games? Five games out? So I threw
this on Twitter two days ago or so, and many
many people said, well, if it's that easy to run
on you, why would they bother throwing? And I would say,
that's what's saying. You're you're right for the last two games, folks,
everyone that wrote me there the last two games. I'm
sure Josh Allen could have put up more passing yards.
(08:33):
I'm sure Lamar Jackson, but especially Allen could have put
up more passing yards if they weren't so successful on
the ground time and time again. I mean that Bills
game was a rare situation where it was just six six, seven, eight,
you know, so why bother you know, shorten the game?
But we go back five games here, I mean, then
there's some substantial passing games the Bears and some other
good teams as well at Burrow, you know, I mean,
(08:56):
birth pretty good, not too shabby. Yeah, So if it
would have been a three game streak, and I put
it out two weeks ago before the getting gashed on
the ground back to back. You'd be like, oh, that's
pretty good. But I also think the eyeball test is
helping here too. I think the defensive backfield, the Dugger
injury aside, is probably the most stable, and the pieces
(09:19):
fit together the best they have all year, you know,
like they try. I don't know that I can remember
having so much turnover at one position. I'm just going
to call the whole secondary from the end of last
year until now. I mean, think about how many people
have come and gone. Prominent names, you know, Slay, Minka, Ramsey.
I mean like, yeah, big name is right right right,
(09:42):
tons of them, you know, they Dugger Peppers people. Everybody
knows they've come and gone. But I do think now
Elliott got hurt, you know. I mean like I think
that the Pierre's played so well and Porter is really
stabilized as a number one type corner or you know,
you top guy Eccles is a really good corner. Ramsey's
(10:03):
a full time safety. The strong safety position has been
a bit of a revolving door. The timing's not great
for this conversation because Dougger was just out. But that
doesn't look like it's long term, so I think that
has something to do with it. I mean, there's way
fewer like mental errors or hands in the air, or boy,
why is this guy playing such off coverage on third
and two and giving away these easy pitching catches and
(10:26):
the pass rush is still there. So I hesitate to
go Downalds Road because two weeks ago, before Bills and Ravens,
I thought, man, we can had the same conversation about
the run defense, Like all the run defenses looking good,
they shut down Taylor and Jacobs and the Bears, and
then uh yeah, whack them all. Yeah yeah, right, here
comes some problem again. So I'm not saying it's fixed
(10:48):
for the app. I mean, I don't have crystal ball here.
But it's been very good for five games.
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yes it has, and some of those games I think
you can draw a direct parallel to just teams having
a lot of success in the run game. Yeah, but
I also think there's some games in there where it
really worked in their favor. Cincinnati one, you mentioned, Chicago
one you mentioned, even though that was a loss that
they end up losing by three points and then back
to starting with that game against the Chargers, that Sunday
(11:13):
night loss in La matt So that's kind of encouraging
in the past game there. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (11:18):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:19):
I also look at this, and I look at the
Steelers latest offensive performances. Okay, twenty seven points in Baltimore,
just seven against Buffalo, that's the outlier. But twenty eight
points against Chicago, thirty four points against Cincinnati, Okay, just
ten against LA twenty seven against Indy, twenty five against
Green Bay, thirty one against Cleveland, twenty three or thirty
(11:43):
one against Cincinnati, part of me twenty three against Cleveland.
Last handful of games here, you have scored what would
be twenty seven points, yes, twenty five part of me
points or more in all but two of those games
since your.
Speaker 3 (12:00):
Bye week to five to the last seven, five to.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
The last seven.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
Yeah, And I mean there's defensive scorers in there and
stuff too. Correct still points of points.
Speaker 2 (12:07):
The reason I'm pointing out that kind of line of demarcation,
there's a clear cut number here for Miami. The Dolphins
are six and zher when they allow twenty one points
or less. Yeah, they are zero and seven when they
allow twenty two points or more.
Speaker 3 (12:19):
Now I'd have to be closer to the Dolphins to
really tell you why on that sure, But I do think, well,
first of all, you know, the last five years of
Steelers football. Wouldn't we have killed to say they got
twenty seven months, you know, let alone you know at
five out of seven. I mean, the Steelers used to
(12:40):
have a crazy line of demarcation at like twenty or
twenty one points of like they almost never lose, anyone.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
Will never win when they score less, right.
Speaker 3 (12:50):
I mean, I'm talking about Duck and Trubisky and Wilson
and Fields and yeah, the last five years. And I
wonder if the Dolphins are sort of in a similar situation.
I did a show last night and we talked about
this a lot, and the more I've dug in and
frankly just more homework too since we got together yesterday.
I know the Dolphins defensive numbers are good. During this
(13:13):
winning streak, they have not allowed a lot of points,
but I still don't think it's a very good defense.
And they've played some pretty bad offenses Buffalo aside, they have,
and just the sniff test, like, they have some good players,
but they don't have great players. They traded some dudes.
They're really weak at corner, so I think they're kind
of holding on, you know, like I I think they
(13:35):
have to play things pretty close to the vest and
they kind of had don't have a very high ceiling
for how they can play, which is why I brought
up the recent Steeler teams, because that's how they had
to They had to win the turnover battle, which Miami's
done a lot lately. They've turned they've turned people over
a lot lately, which is, you know, good for them.
And they've run the ball and they've shortened the games.
You know, you know, they don't play a ton of plays.
(13:58):
Side note too, I mean my Miami games have the
fewest plays run of any thirty two team. Like they're
playing slow you slow you down right, I mean take.
Speaker 2 (14:09):
The full clock. Interesting, now, if.
Speaker 3 (14:11):
You remember my Stephen Curry conversation, like I might be
able to beat him in a three point contest if
it's a first one to make one, but if it's
the first one to make a hundred, I will lose
eight million, zillion million times in a row. Yeah, right, right,
So if I shorten the game, and I know I'm
not super talented and I don't have Tyreek and I
traded phill Up. You know, like that's you know, maybe
I'll play a little slower, you know it.
Speaker 2 (14:32):
It makes a lot of sense in that regard. It
certainly does.
Speaker 3 (14:38):
And they were sellers at the trade deadline, you know.
Now they're saving their jobs.
Speaker 2 (14:41):
Right, perhaps their best defensive player. Yeah, Phillips deadline to Philadelphia,
And so that does make a lot of sense. I
like that Curry analogy that you that you use there.
We're to shorten the game. We're gonna use the shot clock. Yeah,
we're not gonna let Steph Curry take thirty shots. We're
gonna only let him take twenty. And and hope that
that is, you know, keeps things closer and limit minimizes
opportunity for air.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
There fewer plays made, there's less our depth gets tested,
and you know, yeah.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
No doubt and this one, I just this doesn't really
kind of fit into the conversation that we had here
to open the show, but it needs stated because it's
just insane. The Steelers have won two games in which
they failed to reach forty rushing yards. They're the only
team in the league to do that even once.
Speaker 3 (15:24):
So it's happened twice this year, and the end and
the whole every game has played in the.
Speaker 2 (15:27):
NFL this year, it's both been the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (15:29):
There's been two wins where the winning team did not
reach forty rushing yards, both by Pittsford. One was last week,
and I think the other was the Colts. Was the
Colts that I'm almost.
Speaker 2 (15:40):
Sure it was, like it could be right.
Speaker 3 (15:42):
Just actually him and Tom and I were doing it
last night and just off top of the head their head,
one of them said, oh, it's the Colts. But I
didn't double check it or anything.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Let's see here, I think it was the Colts.
Speaker 3 (15:51):
I mean, it's people know him into these stats, and
I do like them a lot, but it's it's fun
to do them for this team because.
Speaker 2 (16:01):
Thirty eight rushing yards against them.
Speaker 3 (16:03):
Okay, that's crazy. If I would dig this heavy into
thirty one other teams, I can almost guarantee you the Steelers'
stat pack every week is the weirdest of all thirty two.
You know, it makes it even more fun to do
it for the Steelers, good and bad. But there's some
extremes that's around this team, and that's perfect example. The
status do you win those games.
Speaker 2 (16:25):
Voodoo magic, the stats of the weird with Matt Williams.
We've got more of those as we roll along. We
got to get to Bob Lavriola, a whole bunch to
get to today as we start to set the scene,
continue to set the scene for Stellers and Dolphins on
Monday Night Football. Wes Uler, Matt Williamson, just getting started
here on the Drive on Steelers Nation Radio on the
Steelers Audio Network.
Speaker 1 (16:46):
Your tuns About Drive on your twenty four to seven
home of the Black and Goals, Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (17:01):
Back on the Drive here on a Thursday, as we
are digging into Matt's stats, diving into the stat packet
here scouting these Miami Dolphins, helping you paint a better
picture of the Steelers upcoming opponent here on Monday Night Football. Matt,
this one scares me a little bit, yeap, Miami has
the league's best explosive run rate. Yeah, over seven and
(17:23):
a half percent of the time, So just about eight
percent of their runs are explosive. Right, that means ten or.
Speaker 3 (17:28):
More yards, right, big deal, Big deal? Some of them
are ninety Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (17:34):
Pittsburgh is thirty first in explosive run rate just two
point four difference. Right, Miami's defense is thirtieth and explosive
run rate allowed seven point seven percent of the time.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
Maybe Steelers could get some stuff going, you know it's.
Speaker 2 (17:49):
Steelers defense is twenty fourth, so not completely bottom of
the barrel, but below average.
Speaker 3 (17:53):
The below average, I mean explosive. We talk about it
this almost every week. I mean one of the things
that's really hot to the Steelers this year in all
facets just is explosive plays inability to generate them. Yeah, yeah,
both sides of the ball. That's the differential anyway you
cut it is not favored the Steelers at all. And
(18:15):
to stick with Miami, I think they're They're always at
the top of the league this way. Well, first of all,
everybody draft runs a four to two, you know, like
they speed speed speed speed speed, sports cars, sports cars,
Lamborghini's and Ferraris and a Chan is the perfect example.
I mean, he's an undersize running back, but he has
some physicality to him. He bounce off, he'll pin ball round.
(18:37):
But if he gets out, if he gets on the edge,
he can fly, or if he gets any kind of crease,
he can fly. I think he did some sprinting at
Texas A and m definitely has a sprinter's background, so yes,
But even right who is his backup is also a
four to three guy out of Tennessee the young pup
Olli Gordon's not. They actually brought a hammer in, as
(18:58):
you know, a chain mover type. The other thing, and
this is what worries me as much is their scheme
is just so creative and different. They lead the league
in motion, you know, prestat motion. They're right the top
of the league in two back stuff, you know. So
any offense, and this is a big thing I talked
(19:18):
about with like Steelers in thirteen personnel, like if you
can be real extreme on offense in any way, shape
or forms, you know. Yeah, it just I only have
three practices to figure this stuff out, and I don't
want to figure it out in the third quarter after
they've already had five explosive runs, you know what I mean.
And with this team too, I'm betting that if you
(19:39):
sat here with a defensive coach from the Steelers right now,
I bet they're hard to simulate in practice too, because
you're not taking to the ground people. A lot of
times people aren't running full speed and they're not running
a chance speed for sure. And even like the motions
and stuff are all fast, fast, fast, you know, especially
with Tyreek was there.
Speaker 2 (20:01):
No doubt.
Speaker 3 (20:02):
And man, they get your leaning the wrong way and
they hit the gap you're supposed to be in. It
can be a house call, man.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
And it's concerning, yeah, because again Steelers.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
You miss a tackle or you know, take a wrong
angle because he'd misjudge your speed.
Speaker 2 (20:14):
You know, they're the best in the league at it.
Steelers twenty fourth, best at limiting it, at defending it.
Not great, certainly something to keep an eye on. Here's
something else, and I should have probably brought this up
in the first segment when we were talking about you
were talking about how Miami runs. The Miami games average
the fewest amount of plays per you know, poor per
(20:36):
the organization. It's them in their opponent over sixty minutes.
Miami held the ball last week over thirty six minutes
against the Jets. Steelers. As we know, it's been a
conversation point. It's been an issue all year two twenty
six sixteen. Last week against Baltimore. The Steelers are the
worst of the NFL in time of possession just to
(20:57):
shade under twenty seven minutes per game on average, Miami
for the year is a little over twenty nine minutes,
so not outstanding. But if you look as of late,
they're averaging over thirty one minutes. So again, this is
a team that's it's almost like a tale of two
seasons of stats for the Dolphins.
Speaker 3 (21:14):
Yeah, you can almost take their first month of the
season and the win. Yeah, like I was a throb
king today and you know all the work he does
and he's like he's a psycho game. I mean, he
wants to watch every game of every opponent, which obviously
gets harder later in the year because there's one more
game each week. I'm like, don't even watch the first month.
You're not gonna learn anything about this same right, I
mean Tyreek was out there, they were horrible, that nothing
(21:36):
was adding up. Do not even bother because they might
as well have purple and blue jerseys on or so,
I mean like they're not even the same team. No,
Now that being said, I also think this last week
against the Jets is a bit of an anomaly in
their favor too, Like that team was a disaster.
Speaker 2 (21:54):
I mean, I mean, h Han had ninety two yards
on seven carries.
Speaker 3 (21:58):
And then they got a rib bugged them a little bit,
and they got them by the game like we don't
need you anymore. We're like twenty four to three and
Tye Rod's out and Fields is out and some guy
named Cook is in there. And so those thirty six
minutes of time possession, they still I mean, even without
their best back, they ran for well over two hundred
yards and getting nothing from their quarterback position too.
Speaker 2 (22:19):
So a little bit of an outlier, yeah.
Speaker 3 (22:22):
I mean that was a very weak opponent. You know
that you got the right time too.
Speaker 2 (22:28):
The Steelers, Matt have run one hundred and eighty seven plays.
Speaker 3 (22:32):
This is what I hate the most. It really is,
and we talk about every week every day.
Speaker 2 (22:37):
I maybe kind of buried the lead here. Yeah, maybe
this is like, you know, I don't know, you bring
flowers home and cook a nice dinner, you know, before
you tell your wife that you you got a two
hundred dollars speeding ticket on the way home or.
Speaker 3 (22:50):
Something I wrecked the car or yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:53):
The Steelers negative one hundred and eighty seven play differential
in terms of on a per game basis, how many
more plays they're an it is running than they are.
Speaker 3 (23:01):
So, folks, the Steeler defense is run one hundred and
eighty seven more plays than the Steeler offense.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
That's over insane. Three games.
Speaker 3 (23:09):
That's three games.
Speaker 2 (23:09):
Three games.
Speaker 3 (23:10):
It's like usually it's about sixty per game, sixty five,
So that's really like they've played three more games.
Speaker 2 (23:15):
But this, and that's damning, don't get me wrong. Right,
that's great.
Speaker 3 (23:18):
We've talked about that a lot, but the next part's
way worse.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
This is what really puts it into perspective, and it
really paints it in a concerning light. The next worst
team in the NFL is the Raiders.
Speaker 3 (23:29):
They stink, so they must be like minus one eight.
I mean they're terrible, right right, minus eighty seven, one
hundred plays better.
Speaker 2 (23:36):
Steelers defense has played a hundred plays more than the
next closest defense in the National Football League, Right, That
is wild?
Speaker 3 (23:45):
Yeah, differential not even this defensive defense, it's the differential
of how many minus your offense.
Speaker 2 (23:51):
I don't think that can be understated.
Speaker 3 (23:53):
And the Raiders are hideous. I mean again, we don't
talk about teams giving up much, you know, but you know,
can'tcuon all that is. But that team has cashed it.
Speaker 2 (24:02):
In more than anybody.
Speaker 3 (24:03):
Right, they have no talent whatsoever. It makes all the sense.
Like if there was only thirty one teams in the
league and the Steelers weren't one of them, and you
looked at the Raiders, You're like, man, they played eighty
seven more plays than their defense than their offense. That's
really rough, no wonder, they're in a mess. And then
you take it to a next level with this one.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
You know, and if you woke up a football fan
who had just been in a coma for the last
ten years, Yeah, and you said, the Steelers defense has
been on the field for it's mid December. Yeah, the
Steelers defense, he's been on the field for one hundred
and eighty seven more plays than their offense. What do
you think their record is?
Speaker 3 (24:37):
I would think they have the second pick in the Dragons.
Speaker 2 (24:38):
They're picking in the top five.
Speaker 3 (24:40):
Yeah, right, there's no way you can live that way.
I'm like, I bet you're eleven and opening day starters,
seven of them are hurt and you're on your fifth
safety off the couch. That wasn't even the league in
training camp. I mean, that's what And frankly, that's the
road you are gonna are you're spiraling down because they've
(25:00):
been fortunate and they've showed some toughness and some good
players that it hasn't gotten to that point, but it
could at any minute if you keep that up, you know,
like you're really walking, yeah, and then it's gonna get worse,
and then the differential every week's can get worse because
you're out. I mean, it's this problem compounds itself, you know,
if you don't nip it in the bud, which they haven't.
(25:22):
It's amazing to me that it hasn't totally derailed the season.
Speaker 2 (25:26):
It's the it's the it's the shoulder. It's the broken
shoulder collar bone that ends up messing up your elbow
and your wrist, and you're.
Speaker 3 (25:34):
Like, then you're amputating the arm and then you look
like the Black Knight and Monty Python.
Speaker 2 (25:41):
We'll call it a draw.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But I mean people wonder, like, oh man, they get out, coach,
why they letting up so many fourth quarter points? That's
on there too. They've been out there for a million
snaps over the course of a year.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
I think the as you also outlined a few times,
the Chargers game was the perfect example of that.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
Yeah, some good and I know, by the way, the
last two weeks you've had a major rest disadvantage.
Speaker 2 (26:04):
Major over over the Bills and the Ravens. Absolutely some
good news in this regard, though, Miami is sixth worst
in the league in terms of play differential.
Speaker 3 (26:15):
So.
Speaker 2 (26:17):
Again it's a it's a it's a pretty significant gap
between the Steelers and everybody else, but Miami is not
the best team to exploit it. They also kind of
struggle in this regard sixth worst in the.
Speaker 3 (26:26):
League because I don't think their defense is great, and yes,
they're running the ball well recently, but they have an
all year. They're not the most physical team that just
pounds you with Jerome Bettison a full back over and
over block. And I found it interesting too, is that
the benner at the bottom of that general section just
points allowed and gained per quarter. It's kind of It's
(26:47):
pretty interesting about Miami too, because you know, the Steelers is,
as as stated, their fourth quarter stuff is bad, but
they also I think that whole section is kind of
interesting both both teams.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Okay, well let's do this then, let's take a break now. Cool,
Let's take a break now and we'll hit that heavy
because I want to I don't want to have to
short change that, and we'll dive deep into that. You've
also got some good stuff in here about the twenty
first century of Miami Dolphins and their record when playing
in the cold, So we'll get into we'll get into
all that to close down the hour, to close down
(27:21):
the Matt's Stats conversation here on this Thursday on the
Drive Euler Williamson Steelers Nation Radio on the Steelers Audio Network,
your tuned.
Speaker 1 (27:30):
About Drive on your twenty four to seven home of
the Black and Goal Steelers Nation Radio.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
All right, so let's get into it. Continuing to comb
over Matt's stats here, and you want to do the
quarter breakdown. There's some good.
Speaker 3 (27:56):
Stuff in here, especially with this opponent.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
The Dolphins pretty two point one points on average in
the third quarter of games. That's worst in the National
Football League. The second half in total, they produced just
nine point two points per second half. That is sixth
worst in the National Football League. But the other side
of that equation, yeah, they allowed just three point seven
points in the first quarter of games, that's sixth best
(28:22):
in the NFL. Yeah, but they really struggle in allowing
points in the third quarter both of these teams. That's
maybe one of the games within the games. They're twenty
seventh in third quarter points allowed, twenty fourth in fourth
quarter points allowed. Yeah, so pretty good, pretty stingy in
the first half. Completely different story in the second. The
second half.
Speaker 3 (28:42):
Yeah, And I don't think it's necessarily Boy they got
out coached or figured out things. I mean, they have
not been a great time possession team all year. I
just don't think they have a lot of good players,
and they don't have very much depth. I mean, they
traded away guys, you know what I mean, Like there's
probably I'm sure they're well, they just fired their gym.
But I mean if you looked at like their front
office and said, these are our twenty five defensive players, well,
(29:06):
I'm counting on about ten of them not being with
us next year, you know what I mean? Yes, and
upgrading on the others, you know, yes.
Speaker 2 (29:13):
Now to kind of spin the block here to the
other side for the Steelers, right, Pittsburgh gives up ten
point one points in the fourth quarter of games. That
is second worst in the NFL, only behind the Giants,
who were currently slated to pick first overall or yeah, yeah,
first overall, yeah yeah, which is really troubling.
Speaker 3 (29:32):
But when you play or one hundred and eighty seven
more plays than your offense, what do you.
Speaker 2 (29:37):
Think you can draw a direct parallel there. I think
it's safe to say the Steelers allow fourteen point seven
points in the second half of games, thirty first in
the NFL, only better than the Cincinnati Bengals.
Speaker 3 (29:48):
Which had a historically bad defense for most of the year.
Speaker 2 (29:51):
Now here's some good news for the Steelers. They produce
thirteen points in the first half of games. That's seventh
best in the National Football League, which is.
Speaker 3 (29:59):
Way different than it used to be. You know, opening
drives they never score. And then there's a stat going
around that they haven't got to ten points in the
first quarter and forever and.
Speaker 2 (30:07):
Ever since Reagan was president.
Speaker 3 (30:08):
I think it's right, right, right, And they're putting the
points in the first half.
Speaker 2 (30:12):
Yes, they's hard to argue with they have. It's it's
almost done. A one eighty in terms of last year
where they really struggled out of the gates, but then
they were great, outstanding, the best in the NFL. Out
of the locker room at halftime.
Speaker 3 (30:23):
Yeah, third quarter was very kind to the Steelers.
Speaker 2 (30:26):
Best margin in the entire league last year in the
third quarter.
Speaker 3 (30:28):
So can you can you put a fit? I don't
know that I can put a finger on why I
can late in games. Yes that I can, but it.
Speaker 2 (30:35):
Is it's it's weird. Now they're top ten in the
first half and their second worst in the in the
in the third quarter.
Speaker 3 (30:42):
Now, my hunch is that Tomlin and the coaching staff
examined their problems in the off season and said, we
probably have to prepare different during the week. You'll be
nuts if you did.
Speaker 2 (30:53):
That's what they That's what they spend the off season doing,
other than scouting and all that stuff.
Speaker 3 (30:57):
But like, hey, we're starting things really slow, especially offense.
We know that these maybe we script things different, or
we don't script, or we script more, or you know,
whatever it is, or we practice different or whatever. But whatever,
your week of prep is clearly needed examining because this
has been a couple of years in a row where
they were slow starters. Well, that's gotten better, but nobody
(31:19):
seems to give them credit for it.
Speaker 2 (31:20):
You know, it's a weird it's a very weird juxtaposition
in that in that regard and.
Speaker 3 (31:26):
I feel like every time we talked to Rob, he
brings up rightfully. So, how many of these losses did
they come out of halftime with a lead, because I'm
scoring in the first amount A good amount of them.
Green Bay, I mean, there's a lot of.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Them, Seattle, Green Bay, or maybe Seattle they were tied.
Were they tied against Seattle? But Seattle, Green Bay, Chicago,
I know for sure they were tied, that they were tied.
I'm pretty sure that Thursday said maybe since he actually
maybe they did have a lead at that way, they
either had a leader, were tied. They weren't team No,
(31:58):
they weren't winning into three, but they.
Speaker 3 (32:00):
Were still winning win often got the ball.
Speaker 2 (32:02):
Weird man. Almost all those times they got the ball
against Buffalo, they did against Green Bay, they did in
Chicago they did.
Speaker 3 (32:08):
Buffalo's fresh on my mind because it's like, boy, they're
getting beat pretty bad in the first half, but they
gott nder to break, they're winning, and they get the football. Okay,
I mean, I'll roll the dice on that.
Speaker 2 (32:20):
Totally red zone defense. Another thing to keep an eye
on here in this one. Matt h Steelers red zone
defense seventh best in the National Football league, allowing a
touchdown just to shade over fifty two percent of the time,
seventh best in the league. Really good Miami, though even
stingier just about forty nine percent of the time for
fourth best red zone defense in the NFL. Got to
(32:43):
make account when you get down close. Remember Sunday in Baltimore,
you settled for field goals three times in the red zone. Now,
one of them Travis Jones, the penalty you lucked out
next play Kenneth game well punches, so it ended up
only being two technically, but you settled for the one
and got the personal foul penalty that allowed you to
elongate the drive. That might be a recipe to lose
(33:05):
a close one if you do that again on money.
Speaker 3 (33:07):
Yeah, or you could look at the other ways or
the other way to Steeler. Red zone defense might be
the reason they won because reid zone offense is falling
off a cliff from last.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Year, and Baltimore kicked some red zone field goals too,
and they had that turnover on downs in the red zone,
which was perhaps the sequence of the game.
Speaker 3 (33:24):
Now, I remember us talking like after three or four
games this season, it seems like one hundred years ago.
But the Steelers red zone offense was on fire to
sort of season.
Speaker 2 (33:32):
Yes, it was.
Speaker 3 (33:33):
And Rodgers is historically shocker is really good in the
red zone.
Speaker 2 (33:37):
Two typically those quarterbacks that are so sharp above the
neck that it's one of their calling cards without a doubt.
Speaker 3 (33:45):
I wish you could rely on the run game a
little more for those I mean run in you know.
Speaker 2 (33:49):
Agreed, Agreed. Both of these defenses struggle on fourth downs
when teams go for it on fourth Steelers thirty first
in the league. Seventy five percent of the times teams
convert fourth down against the Steelers.
Speaker 3 (34:01):
I'm glad you brought that up.
Speaker 2 (34:02):
Dolphins twenty sixth in the league. Not much better, sixty
seven percent, because.
Speaker 3 (34:06):
That's an opportunity for a turnover that you don't get.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Yeah, I mean, and you got a big one again
red zone in that moment, Patrick Queen breaking up that
pass in Baltimore.
Speaker 3 (34:14):
Yeah. Yeah. Now, I don't know if there's any rocket
science to it, but I do think obviously I count
a fourth dound conversion or a fourth dound failure as
a turnover, which it directly is.
Speaker 2 (34:28):
They call it a turnover on downs, Matt. It's in
the name the word turnover is in the name.
Speaker 3 (34:34):
I mean, if it was third down the quarterback botches
a snap and the ball falls on the line of
scrimmage and Keanu Benton falls on it, they call it
a turnover. It's the same thing as on fourth down.
Speaker 2 (34:44):
Completely agree.
Speaker 3 (34:45):
I don't know how you get better at fourth down defense.
There's probably a lot of toush pushes and stuff on the.
Speaker 2 (34:49):
Are nob a short yard of stuff. I think it's harder.
I think it's harder in that regard now than it's
ever been before.
Speaker 3 (34:54):
That for defense, Yeah, definitely, But those are opportunities for
even more turnovers. If you were just league average and
fourth down defense, you might be number one in true
turnover differentially, you know what I mean, Yeah, instead of
two or three.
Speaker 2 (35:07):
Before we get to the weather element here to kind
of close down this exercise, one last one that I
wanted to run by you, Matt. We do this everybody
who does radio, whatever, television, shows, podcasts together. You spend
hours a week, you know, day by day, hours a day,
thirty segments a week. As you always say, there's a
lot of things that we talk about in a negative
(35:29):
light or a concerning light, like time of possession. There's
a lot of things that we continue to talk about.
Being a strength sack differential one of those things that
we always mentioned in that regard again another one. This
really stuck out to me because it paints a picture
of just how good the Steelers are at it. We
talk about this all the time, particularly Cam Heyward, but
he's not the only one that batting down passes at
(35:49):
the line of scrimmage to remarkable. We saw that in
a big moment on Sunday in Baltimore. Steelers defense is
batted down a league high twenty passes so far this season.
Speaker 3 (35:58):
I didn't put it in there, almost certain number twos
all the way down to fifteen. Okay, so they're twenty
five percent better than the number two guy in the league, which.
Speaker 2 (36:05):
Again really paints a picture, right Miami. So Steelers best
in the league. Twenty deflected passes at the line of scrimmage. Yeah, Miami,
worse than the league just two two.
Speaker 3 (36:14):
I think this was last time I was talking to
Tom and Tim. It's like it's almost hard to bat
down only two over the course of the year, Like.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
You should be getting at least one every other game.
Speaker 3 (36:23):
You would think, I mean It's not like they only
run against Miami or for some reason because of the
heat or the way they're built that they are inequipped
to do it. You would think they'd get you'd hit
someone in the helmet a couple times a year, or
I mean how I mean these guys all get their
hands up. I mean the only batdown two passes and
we're deep into December is.
Speaker 2 (36:43):
Nuts, crazy, real crazy.
Speaker 3 (36:45):
I mean I should The short thing is, I'm sure
the Steelers D line coach, Carl doun bar it's part of.
Speaker 2 (36:51):
The it's part of the lexicon. It has.
Speaker 3 (36:53):
It has to be a practice thing, you know. I
bet one D line coach is really preaching it and
practicing it and the other one isn't. There's no doubt
the Steelers are.
Speaker 2 (36:59):
Great because I was gonna say it's it's it's about
as it's about as consistent as them being at the
top of the NFL in sacks every year, right, I
mean that it's it's something that they do, they do well,
and they consistently do well.
Speaker 3 (37:11):
The best guy I've ever seen at it is JJ Watt.
I mean JJ Swatt Wasatt every year. Cam's right behind him.
Speaker 2 (37:19):
Ever seen after outstanding.
Speaker 3 (37:21):
Now.
Speaker 2 (37:21):
I think the last couple of years.
Speaker 3 (37:22):
Brother on the team might have they have dinner one
night and JJ's I was joke about that, the three
of them just sitting there eating steaks and drinking martinis
or whatever. Like came on a little tip you like
tamp on, how to get a timp, you know, after
I retire, you're inside pass rush you and learn how
to bat down passes.
Speaker 2 (37:42):
Over under two hundred ounces of RIBBI consumed when those three,
when those three break broke together. Okay, here we go,
a few more minutes left here before we.
Speaker 3 (37:52):
Check, and I'll tell you a little tip here.
Speaker 2 (37:54):
You know, Cam, you're you're battened out an average of
three passes a season. Those are rookie numbers in this
We gotta pump those numbers up.
Speaker 3 (38:01):
I know how you play. I can get you up
to ten mm, which turns into turnovers due mad passes
go in the air and you pick them off.
Speaker 2 (38:09):
Since the year twenty twenty first century here twenty five
years a quarter century, so a sizable sample size. Sizable
sample size, that's a little redundant. Whatever. The Dolphins are
six and thirteen when playing in temperatures under thirty two degrees.
They're past ten games in below freezing weather. They are
(38:31):
just one and nine. And Matt, that's a.
Speaker 3 (38:35):
Kickoff, by the way, that is it kickoff. It can
change as the game goes on in the three hours.
Speaker 2 (38:39):
And as I look at my phone here right now,
it looks like it's about to be approximately fourteen degrees
at kickoff on Monday. Steelers have been in a bad
stretch of rest disadvantage, right They got Cincinnati coming off
of bye, they got Buffalo and Baltimore coming off of
Thursday night football. This is the pendulum swinging in the
(38:59):
other way, getting.
Speaker 3 (39:01):
You get something that goes your way, getting.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
This game in mid December, not mid September or October,
and getting it Monday night eight o'clock at night, the
coldest part of the day, as opposed to one o'clock
in the afternoon when the sun could still be out
a little bit.
Speaker 3 (39:15):
And o side note, they're twenty two and oh on
Monday night home games in the last twenty two games,
you know, correct, Monday night and weather is a pretty
terrible combination for the road team here from South Florida.
Speaker 2 (39:27):
And even if you go to fifty degrees, which isn't
very cold. It's not cold at all. Right, Tua is
one and eight in games under fifty degrees, right, I
mean he's a Southern boy, went to Alabama, plays for
the Miami Dolphins, grew up in Hawaii.
Speaker 3 (39:41):
LIKEWAYI Tobama to Miami is not exactly the cold belt.
Speaker 2 (39:44):
And I know that that's crazy to some people, Like,
how's the only Remember James win Remember James Winston last
year he was like, this is the first time I've
ever played in snow in my life, right, Like, yeah,
guy from the South, went to Florida State, spent a
lot of his career with Tampa Bay and New Orleans. Sure,
one win now was last week at MetLife Stadium.
Speaker 3 (40:02):
But against that ball a million times.
Speaker 2 (40:03):
That's the only time to ever won a game when
the weather's been under fifty degrees at kickoff, the like.
Speaker 3 (40:10):
You said, that's not that's not it's even close to snow.
Speaker 2 (40:12):
Or it was like fifteen.
Speaker 3 (40:14):
Right, the ball's not like a rock.
Speaker 2 (40:16):
Right, there's a lot of games it's like forty eight
degrees in sunny and you're like, it's perfect football weather.
Speaker 3 (40:20):
Oh yeah, it feels like autumn.
Speaker 2 (40:21):
You know, you put a hoodie on and then a
hat and you're good to go.
Speaker 3 (40:24):
Good to go. So last note, there is just a
dolphin thing. We just covered the two aspect of it.
They got a warm weather quarterback for a warm weather team. Now,
like if this was an early game, like Miami's September
home record standing is like eighty percent winning percent.
Speaker 2 (40:41):
They pull out the Ferraris and the Lambous and the
Porsches and that and that Miami Sunshine and all those
pasty boys from Buffalo come down and melt and that.
Speaker 3 (40:49):
One of my favorite things in the league is the
way that stadium is designed. Miami is all total shade
the whole time, and they're just in direct southern equator,
you know, Africa.
Speaker 2 (41:02):
Hot call that home field advantage.
Speaker 3 (41:04):
Yes, I mean it was exactly how it was built.
And so smart.
Speaker 2 (41:07):
Let's bring those Let's bring the where the black jerseys
while you're at it. Yeah, exactly right, Let's bring those.
Speaker 3 (41:13):
Not equipped for the cold. They overly compensated for me
in terms over the years, they've got a little better.
Like the last The first two draft picks this year
were Kenneth Grant, who's a three hundred and thirty pound
nose tackle type and big Jonah from Arizona who's a
three hundred and thirty guard. You know. So they finally
got some dump trucks are starting to but too little,
too late. But they've been built for speed and they've
(41:33):
been built for good weather. But the thing that they
overlooked or didn't give enough consideration is the other three
teams in their division aren't. This isn't the NFC.
Speaker 2 (41:42):
South, it's all domel That's the craziest part to you
got to go.
Speaker 3 (41:45):
To Buffalo in New England, in New.
Speaker 2 (41:48):
York and if you're consistently winning thirteen fourteen games a year,
you know, and now they got to go and now
they have to go there, right sure, but you know, you're.
Speaker 3 (41:56):
So much different than the other three, so.
Speaker 2 (41:58):
Much different, right right right, And even like if you're
hosting home playoff games every year, say they find a
Unicorn quarterback and they go on a stretch of you know,
winning the division seven times in ten years something like that,
still not then in January, it's not that much of
an advantage, Like it's still sixty seventy degrees.
Speaker 3 (42:15):
One seed, but it's not like Buffalo's like, oh no,
I got to play in fifty degree.
Speaker 2 (42:19):
Oh well, it's gonna be sixty five in Miami this week, right,
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (42:23):
Like Dallas is like that that division where there's so
much different geographically than the other three teams.
Speaker 2 (42:28):
The one thing I know, we got to get to
break and get to Bob Labiola here. But if and
when I become commissioner of college football, you know when
around campus really takes off enough and they let me,
they let me fix the sport every like every other
year something. I want the Rose Bowl and the Sugar
Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl. I want them play in
the North all right, Ohio, Ohio State's always got to
go to southern California, you know, notre names gotta go
(42:50):
to Miami. Uh it give me those California and those
Florida boys up in Columbus for a bowl game in January.
Speaker 3 (42:56):
Baby.
Speaker 2 (42:56):
We saw that last years Tennessee. Tennessee had to go
to coll for that first round playoff game and those balls, man,
they froze and that game, that game was over by
the second.
Speaker 3 (43:05):
Tour enough in the year that I won't fight you
on it because I don't want like ice bowls. No, okay,
but in college it wouldn't be as bad.
Speaker 2 (43:11):
I mean, we're actually sitting we're seeing it. We're seeing
it now with the you know, the home field advantage
in the first round of the playoffs.
Speaker 3 (43:17):
Like I don't want Green Bay to host the super Bowl, and.
Speaker 2 (43:19):
No, no, no, I'm not talking I'm not talking that extreme, Okay,
but I do like it now that I.
Speaker 3 (43:23):
Want pastors to be able to pass in most important
games I want.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
I want Georgia going to South Bend in January. Right now,
I want Alabama going to Columbus in January. Let's see
that shoe on the other foot fellas uh hour of
the books another hour ago. We'll talk to the Great
Bob Labriola when we return on the other side. Here
on the Drive on the Steelers Audio Network.
Popular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Betrayal: Weekly
Betrayal Weekly is back for a brand new season. Every Thursday, Betrayal Weekly shares first-hand accounts of broken trust, shocking deceptions, and the trail of destruction they leave behind. Hosted by Andrea Gunning, this weekly ongoing series digs into real-life stories of betrayal and the aftermath. From stories of double lives to dark discoveries, these are cautionary tales and accounts of resilience against all odds. From the producers of the critically acclaimed Betrayal series, Betrayal Weekly drops new episodes every Thursday. Please join our Substack for additional exclusive content, curated book recommendations and community discussions. Sign up FREE by clicking this link Beyond Betrayal Substack. Join our community dedicated to truth, resilience and healing. Your voice matters! Be a part of our Betrayal journey on Substack. And make sure to check out Seasons 1-4 of Betrayal, along with Betrayal Weekly Season 1.